Beloved students, what an amazing year 2012 has been! Arising from the maze of 2011, 2012 has powerfully demonstrated the presence of the spiritual thunderbolt. This has been particularly true in the second half of the year, and some of you are still reeling from the personal jolts you experienced along the way. While transformation was marching forward literally from the very first instant of the year, the second half demonstrated that movement more vividly. For some of you, there were points of electrifying intensity that likely shocked you awake in the moments you may have least expected it.

As for the twinning of 2011 and 2012 that I predicted last year, that condition may have been more apparent during the first six months than in the second half of the year. That said, the factors, forces, issues, and trends that took root in 2011 are still pushing the envelope of the conventional reality today. I also mentioned in last December's article that I thought you would need the hindsight of 2013 to fully understand 2012. Indeed, this remains true twelve months later, and may, in fact, be even more to the point now than it was last year. Yes, 2011, 2012, and 2013 are congealing into what we might look back on as a "transformation trilogy."

The Birth Pangs of a Planet Awakening to a New Reality

While planetary evolution is unquestionably afoot, viewing the pull of oppositional poles may be more obvious now than it was at this time last year. Reactions against and resistance to the planet's forward spiritual progress are readily apparent as 2012 comes to a close. For those who might wonder why these reactions and resistance factors tend to intensify as we approach the dawning of a new age, let me remind you that such is the planetary pattern of Earth's transitions from one age into another. New energies arrive, and everything from the most basic living cell to the most advanced field of consciousness must adjust to them. Simply stated, the theoretical construct of a big shift turns out to be easier than its practical application.